


Surviving the Horde

by FleetofShippyShips



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bickering, Christmas, Christmas at the Burrow, Domestic Fluff, Draco and the Weasleys, Established Relationship, Fluff, HP: EWE, M/M, Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 21:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13132263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetofShippyShips/pseuds/FleetofShippyShips
Summary: Draco has managed to avoid Christmas at the Burrow for ten years, but not this year.





	Surviving the Horde

“You are not skipping again this year! This is getting ridiculous, Draco.” Harry turned away from their dresser and threw some clothes at him.

“How dare—”

Draco was cut off by a shirt hitting him in the face. He could hear Harry sniggering, and he pulled it away to glare at him.

“You’re coming and that’s final!” Harry said firmly, before Draco could say anything.

Draco crawled out of bed, crossed the room and shoved him. “Who are you to order me about? I’ve never bought into that lord and saviour bullshit, and I’m not going to start now!” He crossed his arms for good measure, and fixed Harry with a dark glare.

“I’m your husband, and I’m saying you’re coming to the Burrow this year.”

Draco scoffed. “That’s not how marriage works, wanker!”

Harry flicked his wand past Draco’s shoulder. A few seconds later, Draco was hit in the back by the clothes.

“That’s not what you were saying last week, when you forced me to go to that awful opera with Pansy and Theo.” Harry pulled a shirt over Draco’s head. “Get dressed. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”

Draco struggled with the shirt, nearly falling over before tearing it off his face and throwing it at Harry. It only served to make Harry start laughing, and Draco realised he wasn’t going to win this. Harry only laughed like that when he knew he was going to win, and because of his bull-headedness, once he ‘knew’ he was going to win he always kept pushing until he did.

Gryffindors.

“You’ll owe me for this!” Draco hissed, crossing to the dresser to find something more acceptable to wear. No amount of time or effort had improved Harry’s taste in attire.

“This is payback for the opera!” Harry said over his shoulder, as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Growling softly, Draco followed him, almost tripping as he pulled his trousers on as he went.

“The opera was payback for making me spend _three hours_ listening to Neville prattle on about that stupid new hybrid of his over tea!” he snapped.

Harry frowned at him, a comical sight, with a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth and toothpaste froth dribbling down his chin.

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Sexiest Wizard of the Year thirteen years in a row, indeed.”

Harry scowled, pulling his toothbrush free and flicking the froth at him. Draco managed to shield himself just in time, but retaliation would have to wait. If he was finally going to show his face at a Weasley Christmas, he was not going to start off by being late.

“Why are we going so early anyway?” he asked, hitting Harry’s hip with his own to push him out of the way of the sink.

Harry sniggered, and Draco shot him a glare. Picking up his toothbrush, he prodded him in the stomach with the end of it.

“Don’t push your luck. I will crawl back into bed and you can go on your own!”

That only made Harry laugh, and Draco scowled as he set about brushing his teeth. He’d avoided Christmas at the Weasleys’ for so many years, he supposed it was a big joke now. Harry picked the right year to finally make him go, since his mother was abroad and he had no real excuse not to go this time.

Looking at his reflection, he squinted. That was a rather convenient set of events. Too convenient. He turned his gaze to the reflection of Harry washing the toothpaste off his face. The git did have that Slytherin streak he only revealed on occasion, rarely enough that Draco often forgot how manipulative he could be.

“You bastard,” he said, after fighting with himself to spit his toothpaste froth in the sink and not at Harry. It was close, but self-control won, mainly because he knew Harry would probably just wipe it off and then smear it on Draco in return. Heathen. “You planned this with my mother!”

“I would _never_.”

Harry gave him a poor attempt at an innocent expression, before leaving the ensuite for their bedroom. Draco scowled after him. Even his mother had been starting to criticise him for never joining the Weasleys with Harry, although she had still spent every Christmas with him anyway.

His desire to crawl back into bed to spite his stupid husband would not be worth it now. His mother hadn’t given him a good lecture on manners for a while, but he could expect one if he ruined her plans with Harry.

Muttering curses under his breath, he fixed his hair, relieved himself, and then returned to the bedroom to finish getting dressed. Harry was stretching and Draco swatted his arse as he passed him, delighting in his surprised yelp.

“We’re having breakfast there then?” he asked. “Please tell me we’re not going to be there all day. You’re going to owe me big for this!”

Harry shuffled up behind him while he picked out a shirt, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his neck.

“It’s going to take more than a cuddle and kissing my neck,” Draco muttered, picking a purple shirt, because Merlin knows he’d never hear the end of wearing green.

“This is payback for the opera,” Harry said, stepping back while Draco pulled on the shirt and cast anti-wrinkle charms on it.

After a moment’s thought, he turned and shot an anti-wrinkle charm at Harry too. “The opera doesn’t last all day. Nor is it full of people who hate me.”

Harry snorted, knowing full well that Draco knew he was welcome, and that he only said that by habit now.

“I beg to differ,” he said, crowding Draco again and peppering his neck with kisses. “All of high society is still pissed about how you’ve been whispering in my ear and influencing my votes on the Wizengamot. So the opera _is_ full of people who hate you. The Burrow will be a lovely change.”

“Idiots,” Draco scoffed, running his hands through Harry’s hair in a vain attempt to get it to settle. “You’re unimpeachable. I can’t even make you change your mind about what you wear. Regrettably.”

Harry laughed and left his neck to kiss him. Draco hummed into it, wishing they could just go back to bed. A lazy morning shag was far more preferable to Christmas at the Weasleys’. Harry untucked his shirt and slid his hands under it. As always, Draco arched into his touch and clutched more tightly at his hair.

“You’re rumpling my shirt, you uncultured twat,” he muttered, tilting Harry’s head back and deciding to leave a mark on him. Harry always made the most delightful sounds when Draco sucked that spot under his jaw.

“It’s just a family Christmas, you’re overdressed.”

“Just because they’re all—”

There was a sudden twisting sensation, a sharp crack, a moment of losing balance and almost falling over, and then Draco and Harry were suddenly standing in the lane outside the Burrow.

Draco blinked for a few moments, still reeling from the sudden Apparition, before he came to himself and slapped Harry’s arm.

“You fucking wanker! What have I told you about Apparating me without warning?”

Harry broke out in laughter, and Draco shoved him lightly before looking around. No one was outside, thankfully. A gust of wind almost blew him over, and he broke out in shivers.

“You could have at least let me grab a coat first!” he hissed, wrapping his arms around himself.

“Your face is always so priceless when I do it, I can’t help myself,” Harry wheezed between laughs.

“Oh, just you wait, Harry Potter-Malfoy,” Draco hissed, stamping his feet and trying to stop his shivering. “I’ll get you back for this! When you least expect it! Remember the last time?”

Harry’s expression dropped. “You wouldn’t!”

Draco laughed bitterly. “Oh, I will.”

Knowing that Harry would be constantly worried about when he’d seek revenge was the best part.

“Come on, love,” Harry whined, shuffling over to him and shivering himself, the idiot. “We nearly got caught that time! Imagine what the papers would say!”

Draco sneered at him. “That’s the point, _love_.”

“Harry! Draco!”

They both turned to see someone hurrying through the snow towards them. Draco hugged himself tighter, infuriated by the fact he looked like an idiot, standing there underdressed for the weather, shaking like a leaf. He was absolutely going to get Harry back for it later.

“What are you doing out here? You’re not even wearing coats!”

Draco bit back a groan. It just had to be Hermione. “How did you know we were out here?” he asked, cursing the way his teeth chattered.

Harry swept her up in a big hug, ignoring her shriek as he twirled her. Draco scoffed and stamped his feet again. If any of them tried to hug him he’d—

“I can’t believe you came!” Hermione said, pulling him into a hug so tight he felt he couldn’t breathe. He was ready to push her away and snap at her, but she was so warm. Gritting his teeth, he hugged her back, stealing some of her warmth for himself.

“I’ll be paying for it later,” Harry muttered beside him.

Draco released Hermione and whacked his arm. “Can we talk inside? Harry Apparated us in without letting me grab my coat first.”

Hermione shot Harry a disapproving look and Draco couldn’t help but snigger.

“Harry! How many times do I have to tell you all the things that can go wrong with unexpected side-along?”

Draco couldn’t stop himself from grinning as they tramped through the snow and up to the Burrow. Hermione lectured Harry the whole way, and it was glorious. He was so distracted by enjoying the way Harry’s shoulders hunched lower and lower, that he’d almost forgotten where they were going until they stepped inside and he was bombarded by warmth and sound.

Standing awkwardly just inside the door, and flinching slightly as it closed behind him, he watched Harry get mobbed by ginger-haired people. Glancing around, he felt his stomach twist. The number of them… they were all there. His gaze landed on Bill, and he shuddered to see his scars.

Harry had distracted him so well he’d momentarily forgotten why he’d avoided this for so long. He’d hurt some of them, or his father had. He looked at Ginny, being spun around by Harry, hitting Ron and George with her feet.

“Draco! What a lovely surprise!”

Before Draco could ward her off, Molly had appeared from nowhere and pulled him into a hug. Internally berating himself, he found himself hugging back. She was so warm, and he was still so cold.

But it was a tactical error. As soon as she’d released him, he felt arms wrap around his legs, and looked down to see two of the children clinging to his legs. He froze, not knowing what to do. Awkwardly, he patted their heads. He still wasn’t any good around them, even if Harry did manage to drag him along to see them from time to time.

“Uncle Draco!”

He winced, and several more small bodies collided with his legs. He turned, searching Harry out and glaring at the amused look on his face.

“We thought you’d be spending Christmas with your mother again this year,” Molly said, smiling warmly at him. He swallowed back the grimace that wanted to twist his face. After all these years, he still couldn’t get used to how welcoming they all were.

“She’s abroad this year,” he replied, reaching down and trying to tug the younger children off him. Harry kept telling him they only liked him so much because he visited rarely enough to be new and exciting, but still… he felt smothered.

“How long were you standing outside in the cold?” Molly asked. “Give him some space, loves, he only just got here!”

“Too long,” Draco muttered, shooting Harry another dark look. “Someone was playing a prank on me.”

Molly tutted, and once his legs were free from little arms, she led him over to one of the couches.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you something warm to drink. Breakfast is almost done.”

“I can get it myself,” Draco said quickly, looking around. All he saw was a sea of people and it made his heart race.

“Nonsense! You are my guest! Sit down and don’t worry about a thing.”

She’d disappeared into the sea of people before Draco could get another word in.

The couch was covered in gift wrapping, and he couldn’t help but smile fondly at it and feel himself begin to calm. He’d never been able to wait to open his presents at Christmas either.

“Didn’t expect to see you here.” A hand landed on his shoulder, giving him a strong pat. “What did he threaten you with?”

Draco knocked Ron’s hand off his shoulder. “Nothing, my mother is abroad this year.”

Ron snorted. “Let me guess, payback for the Opera?”

“Not everything we do is payback for something the other did,” Draco huffed.

That only made Ron laugh and sling an arm over his shoulder. “No, no. Keep doing it! I’m winning the betting pool.”

Draco shrugged his shoulders, but couldn’t shake him off. All the Weasleys were far too tactile. Harry was always worse after visiting them too.

“I can’t believe you’re still doing that stupid betting pool.”

Ron grinned at him, and Molly reappeared to push a mug of tea into his hands. He took it gratefully, taking a sip and sighing. Harry was a cruel man for giving him so little warning before dragging him here. Then again, if he hadn’t, Draco probably would have wormed his way out of it somehow.

“The others are idiots for thinking marriage would soften you two up,” Ron laughed. “You’ll always bicker and fight, and after a few more years, I’ll get a pay out from it.”

“That is so uncivilised,” Draco muttered, giving into the embrace and letting Ron lean on him while he drank his tea.

“Glad you’re here though,” Ron said seriously, holding him a little tighter around the shoulders. “Harry’s always a bit mopey when you don’t come. You know that right?”

Draco tensed. “Large gatherings are not—”

“Draco! Long time no see!”

Draco tensed further as Bill appeared and pulled him into an awkward one-armed hug. What little tea he’d managed to drink churned in his stomach.

“I haven’t seen you since the wedding!” Bill said, leaning back and smiling good-naturedly at him. “You don’t look any different though. I thought Harry would’ve fattened you up by now. The way that he eats! He’s getting as bad as Ron!”

Ron still had an arm around Draco’s shoulders, and patted his shoulder subtly. Draco felt his face heat up and tried to relax. No doubt Harry had told Ron about how he felt every time he saw Bill, and those scars on his face. Fucking gossip.

“I hear you and Fleur are expecting again, congratulations,” Draco said quietly, hoping someone else would interrupt them, even if it meant suffering another hug.

Bill made a strange sound and patted his shoulder, which was still covered by Ron’s arm.

“Thanks, mate! She’s got bad morning sickness with this one and couldn’t make it! I’ll pass that along!”

“Congratulations, Draco,” Ron suddenly said. “You’re the first person to congratulate him and not set him off crying again.”

“Piss off!” Bill said, taking a half-hearted swipe at him. “You cried like a baby for days with yours. Every time you looked at them, or held them.” He made an exaggerated blubbering sound, and wiped at his eyes as if he was crying.

“Oi!”

While the two of them started bickering over who was the weepiest dad, Draco took the opportunity and crept away. The children were thankfully occupied, and Draco nodded at Teddy, who was keeping them entertained by changing his hair and nose. Teddy smirked and mimicked his hair in response.

“I’m still so jealous of that,” Harry said, suddenly appearing beside him. “Be nice to look like someone else sometimes, you know?”

“It didn’t take him long to control it so well. He couldn’t do noses a few months ago,” Draco muttered, looping an arm around Harry’s waist and pressing against his side.

“You alright?” Harry asked quietly. “Saw you talking to Bill.”

“How do you handle all their gatherings, so many people in a small space?” Draco muttered back. “So noisy.”

Harry shrugged. “Family. I don’t see how it’s so different to society events and the opera. You do fine for most of those.”

“We have a private box at the opera. And I was bred for society events, that training is too deep, it just takes over.” Draco sipped his tea again. Nothing in his past had prepared him for a large family. Or for gatherings that were so chaotic. “Is Andromeda here?” he asked to change the topic. “I haven’t seen her, but it’s hard to spot anyone in this crowd, even when they don’t have orange hair.”

Molly called out that breakfast was ready, and he and Harry waited as everyone made a mad rush towards the dining room.

“She wasn’t feeling well,” Harry said softly. “Teddy took the floo on his own.”

“I’ll call in and see her tomorrow,” Draco said as they followed the stragglers into the dining room. “Teddy wanted to ask me some questions about potions while he was on break anyway.”

The room and table had been modified to fit everyone, and Draco shook his head at the sheer amount of food piled along the middle of the table, and the way everyone was shouting and jostling as they grabbed what they wanted. Rather than walking closer, he just wanted to back away. But Harry’s arm was still firm around his waist.

“This is—”

“None of that!” Harry said sharply. “You can rant about it when we’re home again. Don’t ruin your first Christmas here by being a twat.”

Draco elbowed him in the side. “Wanker! I was going to say it’s impressive that she does this every year.”

The look Harry gave him made it clear he didn’t believe him.

They took the last free seats. Draco complemented Molly on the food, and kicked Harry under the table when he sniggered at him.

Being around so many people, some of whom he’d hurt, his stomach felt too uneasy to eat much, even with more than one of them pushing food at him. Ron was the worst at that.

“You are more and more like your mother every time I see you,” Draco muttered to him, refusing the extra sausages.

Harry laughed and nearly choked next to him. Ron scowled.

“If everyone is saying it, even Draco, who doesn’t see mum as much, then it must be true,” Ginny called down the table, laughing at Ron’s petulant expression.

Draco felt himself relax when no one made any comments about his usual absence, and no one really paid him much mind at all aside from the odd comment. Breakfast dragged on, but it wasn’t so bad. Everyone had stories to tell, and it was easy for Draco to just listen and not join in. Teddy showed off all the different noses and facial features he could do now, and everyone cheered him on. Harry cheered, even though he was gripping Draco’s hand tightly under the table.

After breakfast they exchanged gifts, the ones the kids hadn’t already gotten into, and before Draco could even berate Harry for Apparating them without grabbing their gifts, Harry was retrieving them from under the enormous tree that had been crammed into the living room and handing them out. Draco always sent gifts along with Harry each year, and found himself shifting to the fringes of the group, suddenly nervous to see them being opened first-hand.

Harry had once mocked him for getting something for everyone when he couldn’t be bothered showing up. But Draco always spent a lot more time on it than he admitted. He knew better than to get anything expensive, and spent a lot of time trying to find something inexpensive but useful for everyone. Except for the children. Sweets never went amiss there.

While they opened his gifts, Ginny wandered over and nudged his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here to see how jealous Harry gets when we like your gifts more than his,” she said, smirking over at Harry. “He’s utter pants at gift giving.”

Harry scowled at her and Draco sniggered, always glad for the opportunity to tease him, and glad for the distraction. “He absolutely is.”

“A good husband would pretend to love every present he gets,” Harry muttered, as the younger children squealed and called out thanks as they unwrapped their bundles of sweets.

“A good husband keeps his husband’s ego in check,” Draco countered.

Ginny laughed at them. “You should visit more often, Draco,” she said, nudging his shoulder again. “You’re more fun in private than when we meet out in public.”

“Hey, Gin, where’s Luna?” Harry asked, leaning around Draco to talk to her. “I haven’t seen her anywhere.”

Ginny shrugged. “She disappeared outside a while ago. She’ll wander back in when she’s ready.”

“You two still on for that festival next weekend?”

Draco groaned and wandered away from them. He hated being talked around.

Making an effort to avoid Bill, he wove through the assortment of Weasleys and their significant others and children until he found Teddy curled up in a chair by the fireplace.

“Love the present,” Teddy said, when he saw him, lifting up the book he was reading.

Draco smiled and couldn’t wait to tell Harry, who had insisted it was a terrible gift. A book on anatomy and the variation of anatomical features. Normally too much for a thirteen-year-old, but even with all the trouble he got into with his pranking, Teddy was still coming top of most of his classes.

“Do you think it will help?” he asked, leaning against the side of the chair.

“Yeah!” Teddy said excitedly. “I couldn’t do noses well until I looked up how they’re put together.”

“I heard you made McGonagall laugh in the middle of class before the break,” Draco said.

Harry appeared next to him and nodded to Teddy, before taking in the book and the grin on his face. He looked petulant for a moment, and Draco smirked at him. Harry had been so insistent that books were terrible gifts.

“I changed my nose without meaning to,” Teddy muttered. “She said it looked like someone she knew, only bright green. It took me three hours to change back. I didn’t think it was funny.”

Draco sniggered. “Let’s see then.”

Teddy scowled up at him, changing his hair to platinum blond and slightly altering his facial structure instead, so it was more pointy than his own round face.

Harry burst into laughter, and Draco shoved him.

“I do not look like that!”

“You did when you were his age,” Harry insisted, holding up his hand and getting a high five from Teddy. “That’s brilliant, Teddy! You’re getting so good at fine features. You got his chin and eyes perfect!”

“Only people I know,” Teddy replied glumly. “Everyone’s getting bored of it.”

“Don’t worry about anyone else,” Harry said dismissively. “As long as you’re having fun, that’s all that matters. You’ll get better with time. You’re already as good as your mum with noses. She used to do animal noses to make us laugh.”

“Think she’d be proud of how quickly I’m learning?” Teddy asked, looking up at Harry nervously. “I know she didn’t have to try so hard.”

Draco’s stomach twisted and he looked away. Every time this happened he felt so awkward.

“Of course, Ted,” Harry said softly, ruffling his hair. “She’d be so proud. Especially of the way you use it to entertain all the kids.”

“Draco got me a book to help me get better,” Teddy said, lifting it up.

Harry smiled, and Draco couldn’t help but feel smug for how strained it was around the edges. He shouldn’t enjoy being better at gift giving so much, but he couldn’t help it. Even being married for so many years didn’t stop him enjoying every time he beat Harry at something.

“He’s turning into Hermione, giving people books for gifts,” Harry said. “Now, Neville was telling me about a prank you pulled in his class on the last day before break. He was annoyingly vague. Tell me everything.”

Draco rolled his eyes as Teddy launched into the tale of his prank, and Harry shamelessly encouraged him.

 

* * *

 

“Still here? I thought you’d have scurried away home again by now.”

Draco scowled at Ginny as she sat next to him on the couch, pushing away the wrapping paper Draco had left there as a deterrent. Harry was helping either put the children down for afternoon naps, or finding them entertainment so the adults could get some peace from them.

“And you lot wonder why I don’t visit more?” he muttered.

Ginny snorted, handing him a glass of wine. He took it gratefully, not even caring that it was something cheap. He was settling, but it was a long day, and he still felt horribly out of place even though they all welcomed him and included him as if he always visited at Christmas. The constant noise still grated at him, but with the children disappeared, it wasn’t quite so chaotic.

“We don’t wonder, Draco, we know,” she said, watching George and Charlie talk in hushed tones by the Christmas tree. “You probably want us to believe you’re too high and mighty for the likes of us and our cottage.”

Draco grimaced. Harry had thrown that at him a few times when he’d been unable to make him visit. Entirely untrue. He didn’t care about such things anymore. The war had been brilliant for putting things into perspective.

“A high-class snob, that’s me,” he muttered.

“Don’t flatter yourself, we don’t actually believe that garbage,” she snorted. “You always show up for smaller gatherings, you are always available to go out for lunch, or tea, or events. It’s only the big gatherings you avoid like the plague. And the significant dates.”

Draco tensed. He’d always been invited to big dates, like the anniversary of Dumbledore’s death, for the memorial. For the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Nothing he ever wanted to celebrate, and certainly not days he wanted to see anyone. Not even Harry. He’d first thought the invites were a slight designed to put him in his place and assure him no one had forgotten the things he’d done, but it became clearer with time that it was more about the way they had forgiven him. But it didn’t make it any easier, and he still never went.

“But it hardly matters now,” she said with a sigh, taking a sip of her wine. “You’ll be here next year. And the year after. Not all day, not with needing to be with your mother for some of it, unless Harry can convince her to come too.”

“You sound sure of yourself.”

She laughed. “Admit it, this wasn’t nearly as scary as you thought it would be. All of us in once place.”

Draco scowled, and sipped his wine. Indeed, it was not. He felt rather stupid for avoiding it for so many years. And really, what had he been so afraid of? He’d been coming and going from various outings and gatherings of the Weasleys over the years. He knew they wouldn’t suddenly turn on him once they were all together. Rather, he’d known they would welcome him. That was who they were. And yet, he had been so anxious to come.

“You really should bring your mother next year,” Ginny continued. “She must get so lonely around Christmas, even with Azkaban allowing longer family visits.”

“That is hardly holiday conversation,” Draco said, downing the rest of his wine.

She shook her head. “No, but I expected you to disappear at some point. You still don’t visit your father?”

Draco scowled at her. “That’s none of your business.”

“Probably,” she said with a shrug. “But I’m practically your sister, you know. We all think about family at this time of year. Each year we wonder. As awful as your father was, and as much as he hurt most of us, he’s still your father.”

Cursing Harry for stepping away and leaving him to get cornered, Draco looked around for the bottle of wine and levitated it over to refill his glass.

“We owl. I don’t visit. It’s none of your business,” he said shortly. “I’m going to throttle that git for telling you about this.”

She shrugged again, plucking the bottle from his grip and topping up her own glass. “Thirteen years is a long time, Draco.” She frowned, and then shook her head. “How did you avoid family Christmas for that long? We should have all just shown up on your doorstep.”

Draco shuddered at the idea of having the full horde of them traipsing through his home. “Ten years, and less than that really. You can’t expect me to have shown up the first few years I was dating Harry. We were still sorting our own shit out.”

Ginny snorted. “Oh, I remember. Those first years were hilarious. Harry was a nightmare, raving about you, then cursing you, then pining after you when you buggered off to Europe for three months.”

“He should have stayed with you if he wanted stability and an easy relationship,” Draco muttered. They had indeed had a rough time of it in the early years. But it had all worked out in the end.

“Nonsense. He and I were doomed from the start,” she said, snagging a Christmas tart off the platter that floated by. “He likes to think he wants stability, and ease, but he doesn’t. He wants to be kept on his toes. He likes the bickering, and the way you make him work for what he wants instead of just rolling over for him.”

Draco grabbed a tart as well, just to have something to do. Ginny was terribly predictable.

“Not that you don’t do plenty of rolling over for each other,” she said, laughing and nudging his shoulder.

He scowled at her. “Pleased with yourself?”

“What are two laughing about?”

Draco glared up at Harry. “Do you see me laughing?”

Harry snorted and wedged himself in between Draco and the arm of the couch, slinging an arm around him and stealing his Christmas tart.

“I was just making a tasteless joke about your sex life,” Ginny said. “I’ve probably had too much wine.”

Draco snorted. Ginny had a notoriously low alcohol tolerance. He’d heard stories of other Christmas gatherings, once the children were down to nap or squirrelled away in another part of the house, and the wine came out.

“Ah yes,” Harry said, not bothered at all, as he never was when private matters came up. “He’ll be getting a fantastic shag later that’s for sure. He’s not offended anyone yet.”

“Positive reinforcement, eh?”

She broke into giggles, and Harry laughed along with her. Draco set his jaw, fixed his gaze on the tree across the room, and tried to figure out what Charlie and George were doing to it. The best tactic with Harry and Ginny was to ignore them.

“Always effective,” Harry said. “But then, it benefits me too so—”

“Oh, oh!” she interrupted, almost spilling her wine. “Did anyone tell you yet what the kids did yesterday?”

“No, but I can imagine,” Harry laughed. “Which set?”

Draco wriggled out from between them, and they shifted closer as Ginny launched into a tale that had absolutely nothing to do with what they had just been talking about. Draco could get it from Harry later. He desperately needed some air. It was just never ending. Always someone talking, always a story to be told. Nothing like the Christmases he was used to.

He was just leaving the sitting room when there was a shriek behind him, and he turned to see the tree dancing around the room, flinging ornaments everywhere while Charlie and George swore and chased after it.

 

* * *

 

Nicking one of the coats by the door, Draco escaped outside. It had snowed at some point, and the ground was coated in a new, smooth layer of snow. As the door closed behind him, he exhaled slowly and watched it mist in front of him, lit by the light pouring from the windows. It was already getting dark, and it was almost silent. He felt a part of himself relax as he took a deep breath of fresh air.

Even if the day wasn’t turning out as badly has he had imagined it might, he still didn’t enjoy being around so many people for so long. It was a bit ridiculous that he could do it for society events and not this, but at least no one stopped him from getting some air.

Recalling that Ginny had said Luna was outside somewhere, he looked around. There was a light over by the garden shed, and he headed for it, his every footstep breaking the silence with a satisfying crunching sound. As he rounded the shed, he found her.

She was sitting on a little bench, free from snow, her wand a few feet in front of her, stuck in a little mound of snow, just outside the area of melted snow, and bright from a lighting charm. As he stepped closer, he passed into the radius of a warming charm and smiled.

“Have you been out here all day?” he asked, sitting next to her on the bench.

She didn’t look surprised to see him there, and leaned against him with a happy sigh.

“I went for a walk, and then the pond looked so lovely, all frozen like this,” she said, gesturing at the pond in front of them. “I was hoping to see some Ice Kipfurs. They only come out after fresh snow.”

Draco closed his eyes for a moment. Being around Luna was always so calming. “Any luck?”

“No, but the gnomes have popped their heads out.”

“I think the gnomes scared the Kipfurs away,” Draco said seriously.

“You’re probably right. How’s Lucius?”

Draco tensed, and then forced himself to relax. Everything was different with Luna.

“They’re giving them nicer food this year. He seems better. Less gloomy in his latest letter. Mother visited early, before she went abroad. She said he’d put some weight back on.”

Luna found his hand and gave it a squeeze. “That’s good. Maybe you’ll visit him yourself next year.”

“Maybe,” Draco muttered. He didn’t think he ever would, but he’d spent so many years avoiding the Weasleys at Christmas, and there he was. “I’ll keep an eye out for Ice Kipfurs for you if I do.”

“You’ll probably see some. They like people with such pale hair,” she said knowingly.

Draco smiled, shaking his head slightly. “How thick do you think the ice is on the pond?”

She looked at him with a bright smile. Grinning back at her, he transfigured their shoes into ice skates.

 

* * *

 

Dinner was rather sedate compared to breakfast and lunch. George and Charlie were looking sheepish after the telling off Molly had given them for their failed prank on the Christmas tree, and the children knew well enough to ask questions later.

Even after escaping outside for a while, Draco felt drained. He was completely exhausted. He hadn’t spent so much time around so many people since Hogwarts. He found himself leaning on Harry more and more, and everyone seemed to notice and talk to him less. At least, that’s what he chose to assume, because Harry had been right even if he had been a prick about it; Draco hadn’t offended anyone yet, so they couldn’t be ignoring him because of that.

Luna had come in with him after they’d skated a little on the pond and Ginny was slumped against her, giggling and whispering in her ear while Luna made her vegetables dance around her plate, much to the delight of the younger children.

“Not long now,” Harry said softly. “Everyone will start heading home soon to put the kids to bed, if they’re not staying.”

Draco hummed, picking at his dinner. The sheer volume of food the Weasleys had put away over the course of the day was astounding. Draco was still full from the snacks Molly had set to float around the house in the afternoon. It was a wonder he hadn’t broken the ice on the pond from the weight of it all.

 

* * *

 

Molly and Arthur cornered them by the door when they were leaving. Draco was too tired to bother protesting as Molly pulled him into another hug.

“I’m so glad you came, Draco,” she said warmly.

“Always nice to see you again,” Arthur added, patting his shoulder and tugging at Molly until she let him go.

“Thank you for having me,” Draco said, glancing at Harry. Not a single bad thing had happened, and no one had fought. He was going to mock Draco for his reluctance in going, it was only a matter of time. “The food was excellent.”

“You’re welcome dear. Are you really alright to Apparate back? There’s plenty of Floo powder!”

“We’ll be fine,” Harry said. “I’ll be back tomorrow to help with your leftovers.”

“Good lad,” Arthur said. “No waste in this house!”

Draco barely managed to cover his mouth as a yawn broke free from his control. Molly gave his shoulder a pat, and he cringed from how childish he must look.

“Come on, love,” Harry said, looping an arm over his shoulders and dragging him out the door. “It’s past bedtime for wee Slytherins.”

“Piss off,” Draco muttered, pinching his side.

Harry yelped and kicked snow at him. Draco was too tired to retaliate, and glared at him instead. Harry laughed as they trudged through the snow to the lane.

Harry looked back and waved, and Draco saw that Molly and Arthur were waiting for them to Apparate away safely before closing the door. Feeling his cheeks warm, he held out his hand for Harry and they Disapparated the moment Harry took it.

When they landed in their bedroom, Draco groaned and cast a warming charm to heat the room. Kicking off his shoes, he flopped down face first onto the bed.

“Why don’t they have exceptions in their wards for Apparating? Having to go out in the snow is ridiculous,” he muttered.

Harry chuckled and grabbed his hips, turning him over. “Too many exceptions weaken the wards, and even if they only allowed direct family, there are still too many,” he said.

Draco sighed as Harry looked down at him with that soft expression, the one he only got when he was feeling particularly loving and knew Draco was too tired to mock him for it.

“Thank you for coming with me.”

Flapping a hand, Draco closed his eyes. “Never again for a full day. Too many of them. Too noisy. I’m all… frazzled.”

Harry chuckled softly again, and then started unfastening Draco’s trousers. Draco cracked open his eyes to watch him.

“I am far too tired for this,” he muttered. “You’ll have to do all the work, and I might fall asleep.”

“Think highly of yourself, don’t you?” Harry commented, starting to tug Draco’s trousers off. “You’re not so irresistible.”

Draco snorted and stuck his foot in Harry’s face until he pulled his socks off too. “All those desperate fucks in semi-public places say otherwise.”

“You can get back up and undress yourself, if you like,” Harry said, throwing one of Draco’s socks at his face. “We both know what a git you are in the morning if you’ve slept in your clothes.”

Draco grumbled and used wandless magic to throw it back and hit Harry in the face. “Just because you’re a slob.”

Harry laughed quietly and crawled over Draco to start undoing the buttons of his shirt. Draco watched him through half-closed eyes.

“I do expect a thoroughly fantastic fuck tomorrow morning though,” he said, sighing as Harry got his shirt open and brushed his hands down his chest.

“For your good behaviour?” Harry teased, tugging at his shirt until Draco sat up enough to remove it.

While up, he got under the blankets. “Positive reinforcement is a well-established and successful technique for changing behaviour,” he replied, settling in and sighing again as he let himself relax.

He hadn’t been so exhausted by a social event in a long time. Harry gave him another soft, indulgent look, and then set about undressing himself before climbing into bed with him.

Draco grunted when Harry flopped down on top of him without much care, and yanked at his hair a bit in retaliation.

Harry huffed, but didn’t move to get him back. Instead, he pressed a kiss to the side of Draco’s neck and then rested his head on his shoulder with a sigh.

“I love you, you know?”

Draco looped his arms around him and closed his eyes. He only hummed in response.

Harry huffed. “So attentive to my emotional needs.”

“I keep saying we need to get you a dog. They’re supposed to be brilliant for emotional comfort.”

Snorting, Harry shifted a bit and then settled again. “You’re an idiot.”

“Of course. I love _you_ after all,” Draco said, his lips twitching into a lazy smirk. That was too easy.

Harry groaned. “Go to sleep. The sooner we sleep, the sooner we can fuck in the morning.”

“So romantic.”

“Piss off.”

“You piss off.”

**The End.**

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas everyone! This concludes my two drarry gift fics for Christmas (I did a sad one just after midnight this morning lols), hope you liked it =)


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